"It's true, it's not Black Zetsu who released the seal—it's Uchiha Madara. That man has been resurrected from the Pure Land."
"After his revival, even you will struggle to resist him."
Uchiha Sasuke reluctantly moved his body as the curse mark tightened rapidly in response to Raiden's emotional fluctuations, making him feel slightly uncomfortable. Boruto beside him remained unaffected, listening intently. He had never heard of anything like this happening in the ninja world before. He only knew that many Konoha ninjas, including his uncle and grandfather, perished in the Fourth Ninja War.
"Uchiha Madara?"
"Rebirth?"
"He's strong, but do you really think he can be my opponent now?"
Raiden murmured—not out of arrogance, but with absolute confidence in facing Uchiha Madara. If the revived Uchiha Madara hadn't gained additional power, even if Raiden were to lose, it wouldn't mean complete defeat.
Unless…
"Uchiha Madara, what power did he obtain?!" Raiden immediately grasped the key issue and asked in a deep voice. Uchiha Sasuke looked at him with a grim expression before finally deciding to reveal the truth.
"He awakened the Rinnegan and captured six Tailed Beasts—Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Goku, Kokuo, and Gyūki. Then, he acquired the chakra of the remaining Tailed Beasts from somewhere, making him a pseudo-Ten-Tails Jinchūriki."
"He even possesses Wood Release and Sage Arts."
"With these abilities, he has become incredibly powerful. Even if all the strongest ninja in the world were to unite, they would still be no match for Uchiha Madara."
After Uchiha Sasuke finished speaking, he observed Raiden's reaction closely. After a long silence, Raiden finally exhaled and then smiled, his expression relaxed.
"Uchiha Madara may be powerful, but at least we understand his abilities. If we prepare properly, there's still hope."
"Rather than facing an unknown enemy, it's better to fight Uchiha Madara!"
Raiden smiled as he spoke. His reaction momentarily stunned Uchiha Sasuke. He hadn't expected Raiden to feel relieved upon learning that Uchiha Madara was their opponent. Sasuke still vividly remembered Madara's overwhelming presence on the battlefield, yet the man before him seemed unconcerned.
"I understand the situation now. I've also shared all the information I have with you."
"I'll issue you a warrant so that the two of you can move freely within the village."
"You should be able to find your way back on your own."
"Kisame! Escort them back to Konoha."
Raiden called out to Kisame after gaining a small glimpse of the future. It was clear that he had no intention of having a prolonged conversation with Sasuke and Boruto. He didn't know whether their meeting would have negative consequences for the future, but in the end, he didn't care.
After all, no future could be worse than the one where he died in the Fourth Ninja War.
"So, we're leaving just like that?" Boruto looked at Raiden in disbelief. Since his uncle had already recognized them, wouldn't he want to learn more about the future? Boruto himself had many questions he wanted answered.
"What? Do you want to stay for dinner, little guy?"
Raiden chuckled at Boruto's reaction.
"Dinner? That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Boruto responded, rubbing his chin.
This time, it was Raiden's turn to be speechless. He hadn't expected Boruto to be so shameless.
"Heh, it's not that I'm unwilling to feed you, but it's not safe for you to stay here for too long."
"I don't even know how many people in this world are secretly watching me."
"Our conversation isn't entirely secure."
"And you probably don't want to stay too long either, right? You wouldn't want to affect your own timeline!"
Raiden reached out and gently ruffled Boruto's hair. The soft blond locks felt different from his own rough hair, yet he still sensed something familiar in Boruto—a bond of blood.
Boruto involuntarily closed his eyes as he felt a gentle chakra flow from Raiden's hand into his body. At the same time, that chakra formed a seal on his lower abdomen. However, Boruto had no idea what Raiden had done. He only knew that the chakra made him feel warm and comfortable, though he couldn't tell where it had gone.
Clack! The study door opened on its own. Kisame had been waiting outside for a while. Sasuke took a deep look at Raiden before standing up, grabbing Boruto's hand, and heading out. Before leaving, Sasuke turned back and said:
"Lord Raiden, I hope we meet again."
With that, he led Boruto out, following Kisame's departing figure.
Raiden watched Sasuke leave and whispered, "Of course."
Then, his gaze shifted toward the massive mountain behind him. His expression turned cold before he disappeared.
The Longevity Lab
This secret laboratory was founded by Raiden, its main purpose being the study of the captured Otsutsuki clan members. The current head of the laboratory was Orochimaru—one of the legendary Sannin, long thought to have disappeared from the ninja world.
The Longevity Lab was hidden in the mountain behind Raiden's home. This mountain was created using the "Chibaku Tensei" technique, and after the lab was built, additional sealing techniques were applied. However, instead of making the mountain barren, the seals seemed to enrich it, making it more vibrant.
A magnificent shrine loomed on the mountainside, shrouded in mist. A long stone staircase made of white rock stretched up the mountain, lined with red torii gates. Each gate had intricate talismans inscribed on its pillars.
Raiden arrived at the base of the mountain and began climbing. Within minutes, he reached the shrine. Standing in the clearing, he formed a hand seal. The ground rumbled as a concealed stone slab slowly slid aside, revealing a dark staircase leading downward.
Raiden leaped inside, and as soon as he descended, the stone slab quickly resealed itself. A passing breeze scattered fine dust over the entrance, making the secret passage completely undetectable.
As he ventured deeper, the tunnel grew brighter. Soon, he entered a vast underground grotto. Though it was hidden inside the mountain, the chamber was as brightly lit as daylight.
In the center of the grotto, a white-skinned man was tightly bound by golden chains, restrained by heavy devices. Wires extended from the equipment, connecting him to the surrounding instruments.
The researchers, clad in white coats, bustled about, too focused on their work to acknowledge Raiden. He could see the excitement in their eyes—these scientists, once taken from Konoha's labs, were now fully devoted to their research.
Raiden's gaze lingered on the captive Otsutsuki, ensuring the seal remained intact. He then scanned the room, looking for Orochimaru, but he was nowhere to be found.
Casually grabbing a passing researcher, Raiden asked in a low voice, "Where is Orochimaru?"
"Lord Raiden?"
The startled researcher only just realized Raiden's presence and gasped in surprise. His outburst briefly drew the attention of others, but they quickly returned to their tasks.
"I asked you—where is Orochimaru?" Raiden repeated.
"Did he leave?"
Raiden had never restricted Orochimaru from leaving the lab. If they were to study the Otsutsuki, collecting external materials was necessary. He had placed multiple seals on Orochimaru, ensuring he couldn't betray their secrets.
So his first assumption was that Orochimaru had simply gone out.
"Hehehehe, I didn't leave!"
At that moment, the Otsutsuki clansman, who was nailed to the stone pillar with Kongō Fūsa by Raiden, suddenly raised his head, let out a few chuckles, and spoke.
As soon as he did, the researchers in the cavern froze for a moment before erupting into ecstatic cheers.
"Great, it worked!""Success! We finally succeeded!""Hahaha! It's a success!"
Raiden, however, paid no attention to the researchers' excitement. His sharp gaze was fixed on the restrained Otsutsuki, his expression momentarily stunned.
Orochimaru… this guy actually…
"You… did you take over the body of an Otsutsuki?!"
Raiden carefully sensed the location of the curse seal he had placed on Orochimaru, and just as he suspected, the seal had now transferred into the body of the Otsutsuki. This confirmed that Orochimaru had successfully abandoned his old body and taken over a new one—an Otsutsuki body.
"Yeah, I just gave it a try. I didn't expect it to actually work."
"Now, this body is mine. Hohohoho!"
Orochimaru let out his signature sinister laugh. Raiden's brief moment of shock quickly faded, his expression turning cold. In an instant, he unsheathed Sakegari no Tachi, his figure flickering forward. The tip of the blade pressed against Orochimaru's neck.
"I don't recall ever giving you permission to do something like this."
"I told you to study the secrets of this body, not to use it for your own schemes."
As soon as Raiden finished speaking, his killing intent surged, and he prepared to completely seal Orochimaru.
"Wait!"
"I did this to study this body more effectively."
"Do you really think an instrument can reveal all its secrets? Some things simply can't be analyzed through external means."
"If you want to uncover the mystery of immortality, how can anything compare to personally experiencing it?"
"Raiden, by taking over this body, I have completely assimilated its memories!"
"I am far more valuable to Konoha—no, to the entire ninja world… and to you!"
Seeing the blade pierce his skin and bright red blood trickle down, Orochimaru finally dropped his playful tone and spoke seriously. Raiden hesitated for a moment, his eyes locked onto Orochimaru, waiting for him to continue.
"Raiden… there is a way for humans to attain true immortality!"
Orochimaru's gaze burned with intensity as he spoke. Raiden remained silent, neither agreeing nor dismissing the claim. His blade, however, remained against Orochimaru's neck.
"The human soul is eternal. You can think of the soul as an intelligent energy body."
"However, this intelligent energy cannot exist independently in this world. It requires a vessel—a body."
"The fusion of body and soul creates what we call a human being."
"But the body ages. Cells eventually reach their limit and can no longer sustain the soul. When that happens, death occurs."
"And upon death, the soul is drawn into the Pure Land."
As Orochimaru spoke, there was an unmistakable hint of fervor in his voice—bordering on obsession. It was clear that he had glimpsed the truth of immortality and was exhilarated by the discovery.
Raiden, however, remained unimpressed.
"I understand all of this," he muttered. After all, he had personally witnessed Edo Tensei in action. How could he deny the existence of souls? And as for Orochimaru's theory, Raiden had heard similar ideas in his past life.
"Don't you see?" Orochimaru pressed. "If a body could exist without decay, humanity could truly achieve immortality!"
"And that body is mine!"
"A body forged through Yin-Yang Release—a perfect, immortal vessel!"
"Yes! That's right!"
"This body, like the Tailed Beasts, is composed entirely of chakra! What we call Bloodline Limits are nothing more than variations of Yin-Yang Release!"
Orochimaru's excitement reached a fever pitch as he spoke. The Kongō Fūsa binding him shattered under his newfound strength.
"Yin-Yang chakra body… A soul with willpower…"
"I see!"
Raiden's intellect was sharp, and with Orochimaru's words, he quickly pieced together the reason why the Otsutsuki Clan could achieve such longevity.
Their souls didn't rely on a flesh-and-blood body. Instead, they used chakra itself as a vessel. As long as their chakra remained intact, they would never perish.
This revelation immediately brought another thought to Raiden's mind—the Sage of the Six Paths.
Had he really died thousands of years ago?
No.
His chakra and will still existed, even capable of granting power to Naruto and Sasuke.
Even Namikaze Minato and Kushina had, in some way, preserved their will within chakra.
More than a decade after their deaths, they were still able to appear before Naruto.
This must have been a form of chakra-based immortality.
The only flaw was that Minato hadn't mastered the process, and the chakra he left behind was too limited—just enough to reinforce the seal and have one final conversation with Naruto.
But… if Minato had left behind an unlimited supply of chakra…
Would that mean he would never die?!
"Raiden…"
"I have a way to make you truly immortal!"
Orochimaru's voice was filled with confidence.
Raiden, who had been deep in thought, suddenly shifted his gaze back to Orochimaru. His expression now carried a new sense of intrigue.
(End of Chapter)